Got Green ED Jill Mangaliman facilitating one of the breakout tables at the Young Workers in the Green Economy Project Community Reportback, November 12, 2013.

Dear Got Greeners and supporters,

I write with enthusiasm and much pride my very first letter as the director of Got Green. We’ve been working hard for the past 2 years to make this leadership transition process possible to guarantee that Got Green will be an organization that puts communities of color at the forefront of the green economy for many years to come, while living our values by cultivating young leaders from within. Never in my life have I imagined being in this position leading such an amazing organization. Thank you to the Got Green board and staff, and to our partners and funders who have supported me along my journey.

I joined Got Green in January 2009. I was a laid off young worker with little aspirations in life when I was asked by Michael Woo to train a crew of young people of color with door-to-door skills so that they could talk with their communities about climate change and energy. It was the first time I thought about how the environment related to my life and those I cared about. I was inspired by leaders like Michael Woo and Tammy Nguyen and I never wanted to leave. Over the years, I built up my skills, learned from others, and was asked to step up – as a trainer, as a strategist, and later as a board member.

When I finally joined the staff in 2013 to begin my on-the-job-training as incoming executive director, I felt like I had walked right into the middle of it all. The South Seattle Jobs Committee launched their Targeted Local Hire Campaign in March; I remember the packed hall at Southside Commons of over a hundred community leaders, workers, and organizers coming together to strategize for a city wide ordinance to guarantee local living wage jobs for historically marginalized workers.

Then, on November 12th, at Jumbo, I watched the Young Workers in the Green Economy Project come together, as our new committee of young workers presented in front of a crowd of 200 issues prioritized by young adults in Seattle. All of these achievements go to show that when you bring together people who are determined and passionate about making change in their communities anything’s possible; especially with the small but mighty team at Got Green.

Without further ado, it is my pleasure to present the theme of this year’s annual report the “Powerful Teamwork of Got Green.” It is because of all the heart and dedication of those leading and driving this work, that Got Green is where it is today. I am honored to be working along such an amazing team, and I am excited for what’s to come.